There
are several techniques for connecting emitters and particles:
- An easy way to connect an existing particle
object to an emitter is with the Dynamic Relationships Editor
(see
Dynamic Relationships Editor).
You must use this method if you want
to connect an existing particle object to a selected emitter on
an object with multiple emitters.
- After you finish setting the color and
other attributes of emitted particles, you can conveniently create
a new emitter and connect it to the particles. The new emitter will
emit particles with the same attribute settings. The new emitter
can emit at a different rate or direction, or even be a different
type of emitter.
For example, suppose
you create a fire effect and want to expand its size. You can add
emitters to the original emitting object, then connect the existing
emitted fire particle object to the new emitters. The particles emitted
from the added emitters have the same attributes as the existing particles.
- You can create two or more empty particle
objects, define unique attributes for each, and connect them to
one emitter. This lets you emit different particle effects, such
as fire and smoke, from the same emitter.
If you connect multiple
particle objects to an emitter, the emitter emits them all with
their respective attributes. For example, if you have a red particle
object and a green particle object and you connect both to an emitter,
the emitter emits both green and red particles.
- You
can connect emitted particles to the emitter of your choice on an
object with multiple emitters.
- To replace an existing emitted particle
object with another, use the Dynamic Relationships Editor
to disconnect the existing particle object so that only the desired
particle object is emitted.
- You
can add an existing independent emitter to a single selected object.
The emitter must not already exist in another object. If you create
an emitter with the Maya API, use this technique to add the emitter
to the desired object.
To connect a particle object to an emitter
- Select the particle object you want to
connect to the emitter.
- Shift-click the emitter (or the object
that owns it). If you are selecting the emitter in the Outliner,
use Ctrl-click (Windows and Linux) or Command-click (Mac OS X) to
make a non-contiguous selection.
- Select
Particles > Use Selected Emitter.
To
create an empty particle object
- Select
Particles > Particle Tool > to display
the options window.
- Enter 0 in the Number of Particles box and
press (Windows
and Linux) or (Mac
OS X).
- Move the pointer to the workspace and
press or .
This creates an empty
particle object in the Outliner.
To add an existing emitter to an object
- Select the object and shift-select the
emitter.
- Select
Particles > Emit from Object.
The emitter becomes indented under the object
in the Outliner. Moving the position
of the object moves the position of the emitter.